NBC: Joan Rivers Stands Behind Comments About Gaza War Dead

[Algernon Moncrieff]

http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/joan-rivers-stands-behind-comments-about-gaza-war-dead-n176591

Explaining that she is "saddened and disappointed," comedienne Joan Rivers has issued a statement clarifying incendiary comments she made this week about the nearly 2,000 civilians who have died during the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Israel.

Rivers, 81, says her statements were "taken out of context." Asked how she feels about Gazans who lost their lives, she told TMZ: "Ask Colin Powell. When you declare war, you declare war. They started it. We don't count who's dead. You're dead. You deserve to be dead. You started it." She also said many of the dead "were the ones with very low IQs."

I'm not endorsing or condemning. I'm sharing.

[Journeyman]

1. I'd like to know the "context" that makes such statements alright . . .

[U4ikLefty]

4. There's a video in the OP's link.

stay classy Joan

[hollysmom]

2. why do people care about blowhards - Joan has been over the hill most her life

I can't figure out who still pays her.

[Purveyor]

5. She pays her bills by spouting shit like this. Only 'gig' she has left. Poor, pitifull

thing...she.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. Such a horrible and mean little person.

[MrMickeysMom]

6. I think her last 10 facelifts sucked what little IQ she had down to her sigmoid colon...

Take a courtesy flush, Joan…

[MADem]

7. Stand behind? She isn't standing behind--she said her remarks were taken out of context.

She "stands behind" an attitude that WAR IS HELL.

Specifically:

“I am both saddened and disappointed that my statement about the tragedy of civilian casualties was totally taken out of context. What I said and stand behind is, war is hell and unfortunately civilians are victims of political conflicts. We, The United States, certainly know this as 69 years later we still feel the guilt of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The media, as usual, has decided to only quote the most out of context and inflammatory non sequitur rather than giving an accurate account of what my intentions were behind the statement. Along with every other sane person in this world, I am praying for peace. It is stupid and wrong and I am tired of bearing the brunt of attacks by people who want to sell newspapers or gain ratings by creating a scandal about me that is non-existent.”

I am not a fan of this latest conflict. As I've said, repeatedly, I am on the Peace Team. That said, I am not going to get all bent out of shape about the remarks of an octogenarian Jewish comedienne whose schtick is to say outrageous things, who was sandbagged and goaded by a gossip site.

I'll save my outrage for the politicians on all sides of this conflict who, for their own craven purposes, are allowing this shit to continue.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. I agree absolutely...

I've been watching Rivers for years and sometimes she makes me laugh, sometimes she doesn't, but she's never been one to take the safe route and that is something that most people admire.

Unless there's a word or two in there that they can misinterpret for their own reasons.

[freshwest]

9. Yes, that is the context. I've seen the edited clips and I saw the full one as your statement reads.

She was disgusted with war and killing. And now she has passed on with this viewed as all that ever mattered. She was old enough to see have seen more warfare than most of us. She had picked a side just as most folks do. But she seemed to have been one angry woman, and had been for years. I didn't find her humor that good most of the time. But she was just there to see on shows, is all.